Print Article
Omer Fast

Take a Deep Breath






                           TAKE A DEEP BREATH
                                  by
                               Omer Fast

      In the summer of 2002, Martin F. was standing outside a falafel 
      shop in Jerusalem when it exploded. A trained medic, he went in 
      and discovered the body of a young man on the floor. The young 
      man had lost both legs below the waist, as well as an arm, but 
      his eyes were open and focused. A few seconds passed while the 
      two looked at each other. Knowing it was probably in vain, 
      Martin F. decided to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 
      After a minute or two, the young man’s eyes rolled up into his 
      head and he expired. As he walked out, Martin F. saw that a 
      group of people had gathered, including two policemen, who 
      wanted to know how many casualties were inside. When he 
      responded that there was only one, Martin F. realized the young 
      man he had just left inside was a suicide bomber. 

      In the following script, extracts recorded from a conversation 
      with Martin F. in 2008 alternate with fictional scenes in which 
      a team of actors attempts to stage his ordeal for the camera. 

      There are two cameras shooting simultaneously. 

      Each shoots a different view.

Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 


1     I/E. FALAFEL SHOP IN JERUSALEM. DAY.

      Off-screen sound of a muffled explosion.
      
      CAMERA "A" AN EXPLODED FALAFEL SHOP ON A STREET IN JERUSALEM. THE
      STORE WINDOW HAS BEEN BLOWN OUT. SMOKE IS COMING OUT. THE STREET IS
      EMPTY. THERE IS SHATTERED GLASS AND BLOOD ON THE SIDEWALK, AS WELL
      AS A SINGLE SEVERED HUMAN ARM. 
      
      CAMERA "B" PARALLEL SHOT, REVEALING MF FROM BEHIND, STANDING
      FARTHER DOWN AND LOOKING TOWARDS THE EXPLODED FACADE.

                            MARTIN F. (V.O.)
               Where do I start here? That morning I took off
               from work for an hour or so. I went with my wife
               out on a few chores. And when I came back I
               decided to go for lunch. I headed for my favorite
               falafel place on Prophets Street. And within
               fifteen seconds I heard this boom. Not as noisy as
               you'd really expect. And I see smoke emerging from
               the falafel place itself. 

      MF begins to walk towards facade.
      
      BOTH CAMERAS MOVE TOWARDS THE BLASTED WINDOW.

                            MARTIN F. (V.O.)
               The plate glass window is all shattered. There's
               complete silence. Maybe a few car alarms go off.
               There's glass on the sidewalk. And the first thing
               that really hits me is a human arm by the door.

      MF pauses just in front of the facade.

                            MARTIN F. (V.O.)  
               But I am a medic. I was trained in the army to
               deal with casualties. So I headed over there. Not
               too fast, mind you. I was not in a rush. I was
               hoping that some magic ambulance was going to come
               out of nowhere; they'd do all the dirty work.
               They'd go in and I would be able to be on the
               outside looking in. But nobody was there, so I
               walk in.

      MF walks through the open door into the shop.
      
      CAMERA "A" TRACKS THROUGH BLASTED WINDOW INTO THE SHOP AS MF WALKS
      IN THROUGH DOOR. IT CLOSES IN ON AN INJURED BODY LYING IN A PUDDLE
      OF BLOOD. IT IS A YOUNG MAN, PRACTICALLY A TEENAGER. HE IS MISSING
      BOTH LEGS AND AN ARM. THE GROIN AREA OF HIS PANTS DISPLAYS AN
      AWKWARD TUMESCENCE.
      
      CAMERA "B" OVERTAKES MF AS HE APPROACHES THE FACADE, CROSSING AND
      FOLLOWING MF'S POV. AS IT APPROACHES THE BODY, IT TILTS UP TO
      REVEAL CAMERA "A" AND THE CREW.

                            MARTIN F. (V.O.)
               Glass all over the place. And blood, but... I see
               this one fellow lying on the floor. He had no
               legs. I leaned down and looked at him for a second
               or two. 
               
      CAMERA "A" ZOOMS IN; THE LEGLESS MAN SUDDENLY OPENS HIS EYES AND
      LOOKS AT THE CAMERA.
Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6

Related Articles:

Bilal Khbeiz, Los Angeles: The Invention of Public Weather

copyright e-flux 2009

view all issues →

view all issues

contact e-flux journal

colophon

Omer Fast (Jerusalem, 1972) uses his films to explore the possibilities offered by the cinematic medium: possibilities for expressing emotions, concentrating on individuals, or placing their personal stories within a broader historical context. The borders of cinematic form begin to melt when Omer Fast links collective memory and the individual unconscious on the same layer of his medium.

BidounAfter AllPiktogramNKDaleFriezeBook ForumA Prior MagazineFlash ArtArt ForumParkettArt Vilnius